MLV(i)
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity and to the priests and to the prophets and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,
2 (after Jeconiah the king and the queen-mother and the eunuchs and the rulers of Judah and Jerusalem and the craftsmen and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem),
3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), saying,
4 Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel, to all the captivity whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build you* houses and dwell in them and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. 6 You* take wives and beget sons and daughters. And take wives for your* sons and give your* daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters and will multiply you* there and do not be diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you* to be carried away captive and pray to Jehovah on behalf of it, for in the peace of it you* will have peace.
8 For Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel: Do not let your* prophets who are in the midst of you* and your* diviners, deceive you*, nor listen to your* dreams which you* cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you* in my name. I have not sent them, says Jehovah.
10 For Jehovah says thus, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you* and perform my good word toward you* in causing you* to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you*, says Jehovah, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you* hope in your* latter end. 12 And you* will call upon me and you* will go and pray to me and I will listen to you*.
13 And you* will seek me and find me when you* will search for me with all your* heart. 14 And I will be found by you*, says Jehovah and I will turn again your* captivity. And I will gather you* from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you*, says Jehovah and I will bring you* again to the place from where I caused you* to be carried away captive.
15 Because you* have said, Jehovah has raised us up prophets in Babylon, 16 Jehovah says thus concerning the king who sits upon the throne of David and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your* brothers who have not gone forth with you* into captivity, 17 Jehovah of hosts says thus: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine and the pestilence and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten they are so bad.
18 And I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine and with the pestilence and will deliver them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration and an astonishment and a hissing and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have not listened to my words, says Jehovah, with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them. But you* would not hear, says Jehovah.
20 Hear therefore the word of Jehovah, all you* of the captivity whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you* in my name. Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and he will kill them before your* eyes.
22 And of them will be taken up a curse by all the captives of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, 23 because they have done senselessness in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I did not command them. And I am he who knows and am witness, says Jehovah.
24 And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you will speak, saying, 25 Thus speaks Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying,
Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest and to all the priests, saying, 26 Jehovah has made you priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man who is mad and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles. 27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you*, 28 inasmuch as he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, It is long. Build you* houses and dwell in them and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them?
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Then the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying, 31 Send to all those of the captivity, saying, Jehovah says thus concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you* and I did not send him and he has caused you* to trust in a lie, 32 therefore Jehovah says thus: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed. He will not have a man to dwell among this people, nor will he behold the good that I will do to my people, says Jehovah, because he has spoken rebellion against Jehovah.
5 Build you* houses and dwell in them and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. 6 You* take wives and beget sons and daughters. And take wives for your* sons and give your* daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters and will multiply you* there and do not be diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you* to be carried away captive and pray to Jehovah on behalf of it, for in the peace of it you* will have peace.
8 For Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel: Do not let your* prophets who are in the midst of you* and your* diviners, deceive you*, nor listen to your* dreams which you* cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you* in my name. I have not sent them, says Jehovah.
10 For Jehovah says thus, After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you* and perform my good word toward you* in causing you* to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you*, says Jehovah, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you* hope in your* latter end. 12 And you* will call upon me and you* will go and pray to me and I will listen to you*.
13 And you* will seek me and find me when you* will search for me with all your* heart. 14 And I will be found by you*, says Jehovah and I will turn again your* captivity. And I will gather you* from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you*, says Jehovah and I will bring you* again to the place from where I caused you* to be carried away captive.
15 Because you* have said, Jehovah has raised us up prophets in Babylon, 16 Jehovah says thus concerning the king who sits upon the throne of David and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your* brothers who have not gone forth with you* into captivity, 17 Jehovah of hosts says thus: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine and the pestilence and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten they are so bad.
18 And I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine and with the pestilence and will deliver them to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an execration and an astonishment and a hissing and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have not listened to my words, says Jehovah, with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them. But you* would not hear, says Jehovah.
20 Hear therefore the word of Jehovah, all you* of the captivity whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 Jehovah of hosts says thus, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you* in my name. Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and he will kill them before your* eyes.
22 And of them will be taken up a curse by all the captives of Judah that are in Babylon, saying, Jehovah make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire, 23 because they have done senselessness in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I did not command them. And I am he who knows and am witness, says Jehovah.
24 And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you will speak, saying, 25 Thus speaks Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saying,
Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest and to all the priests, saying, 26 Jehovah has made you priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of Jehovah, for every man who is mad and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles. 27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you*, 28 inasmuch as he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, It is long. Build you* houses and dwell in them and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them?
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Then the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah, saying, 31 Send to all those of the captivity, saying, Jehovah says thus concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you* and I did not send him and he has caused you* to trust in a lie, 32 therefore Jehovah says thus: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed. He will not have a man to dwell among this people, nor will he behold the good that I will do to my people, says Jehovah, because he has spoken rebellion against Jehovah.